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Shabbat Parashat Matot 5776

| 24 Tamuz 5776 | 30/07/2016

Parashat Hashavua: The Power of Speech

Our parasha begins with the laws that arise from oaths, especially in the context of family relationships. That makes it a good time to discuss the power of one’s speech. Based on the power the Torah gives to a person’s oaths, things that he says can change matters on the ground in many ways.

Ask the Rabbi: Halachic Ramifications of Ad-blocks

I went on a religious website, and it detected that I have an ad-block program. They gave me a choice to disable my ad-block or continue while violating geneiva because ad-blocking takes away their parnasa. Would it be forbidden to continue with ad-blocking?

Ein Ayah: Blessing for Those Who Know How to Appreciate the Future

Due to the sin of not giving terumot and ma’asrot (tithes to kohanim and levi’im, respectively), the skies are prevented from giving rain and dew … If they give, they are blessed, as the pasuk says: “Bring the ma’aser to the storehouse, and it shall be food in My house, and test Me in this … if I will not open up the skylights of the heavens and pour out limitless blessing” (Malachi 3:10) – until your lips get worn out saying “enough.”

P'ninat Mishpat: A Loan or a Gift? – part II

A few years ago, Shimon wanted to buy a home and asked his brother, Levi, for help. Levi gave him 60,000 shekels and then later another 100,000. Levi has put Shimon on notice that he wants Shimon to repay him the 100,000 shekels, which was a loan, when he has the ability. Shimon asked beit din to make a declaratory ruling that the money had been a gift. This, he says, is evidenced by the fact that there was no loan contract and is in line with the many gifts Levi had given Shimon over the years. Something had just caused Levi to “change his tune.” Levi says that originally Shimon had asked him for a loan for the entire cost of the home, but that he had agreed only to a more modest gift plus a loan. Levi described a discussion before the loan in which he had said that he was unable to give the 100,000 as a gift. Shimon says that occurred well after the money was given, and that, in any case, Levi had previously pledged the money as a present, without which Shimon would not have bought the home.

Refuah Sheleymah to

Elchanan ben Adina

Orit bat Miriam

***

Hemdat Yamim

is dedicated

to the memory of:

those who fell

in the war

for our homeland.

R' Eliyahu Carmel,

Rav Carmel's father,

who passed away on

8^th of Iyar 5776

Yechezkel Tzadik,

Yaffa's father,

who passed away on

11^th of Iyar 5776

Mina Presser

bat Harav David and Bina

on the occasion of her yahrzeit,

24 Tammuz

and members of her family

who perished in the shoah

Al Kiddush Hashem

Mrs. Sara Wengrowsky

bat R’ Moshe Zev a”h.

who passed away on

10 Tamuz, 5774

Rabbi Reuven Aberman

zt”l

Eretz Hemdah's

beloved friend and

Member of Eretz Hemdah's Amutah
who passed away

on 9 Tishrei, 5776

R' Meir
ben

Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld

o.b.m

R ' Yaakov ben Abraham & Aisha

and

Chana bat Yaish & Simcha

Sebbag, z"l

Hemdat Yamim

is endowed by

Les & Ethel Sutker

of Chicago, Illinois
in loving memory of
Max and Mary Sutker
and

Louis and Lillian Klein, z”l

A weekly divrei Torah leaflet: A Glimpse at the Parasha, Ask the Rabbi, From the writings of Harav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, zt”l, Pninat Mishpat (Jewish Monetary Law).